Vented container



Pnenfed Oct. 27,1970 y y .y 3,536,101

6 TRAVERS FRASER SWEATMAN '8 am t C United States Patent 11113,536,107

[72] Inventors Peterlurglll Sdll'eib [50] Field of Search 137/43, Doylestown, Pennsylvania. and 581, 587, 588; 141/18, 285, 301, 21, 274, 306, 'IraversFraserSweatmam Toronto, 308, 309, 382; 215/56, 79; 220/48, 86,(CUR); Ontario, Canada 222/478, 481, 481.5, 402.16, 402.17, 402.19. 500, [2l] Appl. No. 699,973 442(CUR) [22] Filed Jan. 23, 1968 Continuation-impart of Ser. No. 616,961, [56] References Clfed Feb. 17, 1967, now Pat. No. 3,459,245. l UNITED STATES PATENTS y [45] Patented Oct- 27, 1970 2,665,326 1/1954 Knight 22o/44x [73] Asslgnee Fml Swtmn Incorporated 2,793,794 5/1957 samuel zzz/402.19

Egg, New ew York FoREiGN PATENTS p 630,290 4/1927 France ..2 l-5/79 Primary Examiner-Laverne D. Geiger Assistant Examiner-Edward J. Earls Attorney-Busser, Smith and Harding [54] VENTED CONTAINER 3 Chim 3 Drawmg ugs' ABSTRACT: A container is provided with air vent means hav- [52] U.S. Cl 141/18, ing gravity actuated means controlling the air vent means to l37/43, l4l/30l, 141/309, 222/4815 provide for venting both when the container is upright or in- [5l] Int. Cl B67d 3/00 verted.

f r ""1 i ,so l

l i l i 1 I l l 1 l l 54 58 l l '1 l 58 56 2O 22 52 ll K lo l l2 6 l L 'T vEN'rEn CONTAINER l CROSS REFERENCE This is a continuation-impart of pending U.S. Pat. application Ser. No. 616,961 filed Feb. I7, 1967, now U.S. Pat. No. 3,459,245.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In certain application, it is dirable to employ a single container for supplying and withdrawing liquid from a closed system, Le., a system which tightly connects to the container and prevents the ready entry of air into the container or passage of air from the container during emptying ancl` filling the container respectively. The primary purpose of this invention is to provide means for the ready supply of air to a container when the container is inverted to withdraw liquid from it into a closed system and to pemiit the passage of air from the container when it is upright and being supplied with liquid from a closed system.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. l is a front elevation, partially broken away, of a container in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 is a rear elevation ofthe container of FIG. I, partially broken away, in the inverted position; and

FIG. 3 is a vertical section, partially broken away. of the top of the container in FIG. l tted with a cap.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT A container 2 has a body 4 and a threadedneck 6 to which there is threadably secured a top member 8. Member 8 is turned down on neck 6 so as to press a washer l0 against the top l2 of container 2 to form a seal. Top member 8 has a neck 14 which communicates with the interior of container 2 through an opening 16.

A tube 20 is secured by a pressed fit in opening 22 in top member 8. Tube 20 is secured by a pressed fit to tube 24 top member 8. Top member 50 has a recesed portion 54 which snuggly engages neck l4of top member 8. Communication to the atmosphere for tube is provided by a passage indicated at 56 which is connected to the atmosphere by a plurality of passages 58, Cap member 50 is provided with a neck 60 for connection to a closed system a part of which typically may be the flexible tube indicated at 62.

As shown in FIG. 3, cap portion 50 may be removed and replaced by a closure cap 66 which can be threaded to top member 8 as indicated at 68 to prevent the passage of liquid into or out of container 2.

OPERATION when the container 2 is receiving liquid, for example, from hose 62, air is vented to the atmosphere from the interior of the container b in 'throu h 36 into cu sha member 28 giaecisicegthrou m tube 20, pagsage@ and openings 58 to the atmosphere. It will be noted that the force of gravity keeps washer 42 agaimt bead 44 and hence 0 from impeding the flow of air through openings On the other hand, when liquid is flowing'rom container 2 with the container in an inverted position as shown in FIG. 2, washer 42 by the force of gravity is moved against disc 32 to .close openings 36 and hence prevent liquid from flowing therethrough. Air moves into the bottom of the container by passing through openings 58, passage 56, tube 20, tube 24, cup shaped member 28 and tube 38. Thus, in accordance with the invention, the container is readily usuable with a closed system either for discharging a liquid to the system or receiv- 0 ing a liquid from the system.

which is threadably secured at 26 to a cup-shaped member 28. 50

It will be understood that the above described embodiment is illustrative and is not limiting.

We claim:

l. In an open neck container for discharging liquid to 0r receiving liquid from a closed system the improvement comprising:

a container top mounted on the neck of the container and having a passage for the flow of liquid into and out of the container and a second passage communicating with the atmosphere;

a conduit having one end connected to said second passage and the other end adjacent the bottom of the container;

said conduit having a passage opening to the interior of the container intermediate its ends; and

gravity actuated means to close said third mentioned passage when the container is inverted and open it when the container is upright.

2. The device of claim l in which the gravity actuated means is slidably mounted on the conduit.

3. The device of claim l in which the conduit includes a pair of tubes;

a fitting connecting the ends of said tubes in spaced apart relation; and

the third mentioned passage being in said fitting and in communication with the interior of said tubes and the interior of the container. 

